15 September 2016
Hon. Monday Eyo Okon,
Member Representing Uyo Constituency
AKHA,
Udoma Udoma Complex, Uyo,
Akwa Ibom State.
13th September, 2016.
Honourable Sir,
THE NEED FOR THE CREATION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE [EDC] IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
It is with deep sense of humility, comradeship and statesmanship that I write this letter to draw your attention to the ongoing hardship and poverty in Uyo the State Capital which you represent. But before I commence, I would like to first and foremost congratulate you on your victory during the State House of Assembly Election and also your sterling successes as an Honourable Member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Sir, accept my sincere apologies if you are discomforted by my resort to public engagement through this open letter. The truth is, If I had any other convenient channel of communicating with you, I would have explored it.
However, looking at the state capital today, you will agree with me that poverty is walking naked in the land, there is high level of hardship and unemployment in Uyo. An average youth cannot boast of three square meal a day. Now the question is, am I going to fold my hands and watch our brothers and sisters die of hunger?
This letter is borne out of my proposed interventions and solutions to the economy diversification in Nigeria which I decided to start from Uyo my home town and state capital to buttress the "charity begins at home adage".
Therefore, I want to state categorically that there is need for the creation of Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Uyo Local Government to boost development, eliminate poverty, and create jobs for the populace.
The Entrepreneurship Development Centre [EDC] when created will definitely employ and engage about 61% of the unemployed youths in Uyo. Sir, you may think why am writing to you directly and not Uyo Local Government Transition Chairman. The truth is, we don't have a constituted Local Government Council yet and even if we do, You can make legislation to this effect or possibly established the proposed EDC as your Constituency Project to address this challenge.
The anticipated Entrepreneurship Development Centre can be strategically designed to train tertiary students, youths, Secondary School Students, School leavers, Men/women and owners of existing business for three to six months with a view of making them acquire skills and be self-reliant.
In response to the need for functional skill development among the youths, the program will prepare them to survive in this economic recession as well as the stigma of unemployment and its associated consequences. It will take care of the needs of unemployed youths to enable them acquire functional skills for self-employment and wealth creation.
I strongly believe that the sustainable order to wealth creation and poverty eradication is through entrepreneurship development.
I would like to emphasize that the ultimate aim of the EDC is to be a foremost and sustainable functional skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development training that will contribute to a minimum poverty ratio.
I would like to add that with the present economic downturn, high level of poverty in Uyo, most unemployed individuals often express interest in self-employment but only about 5% or less actually realise such ambitions.
This Entrepreneurship Development Centre will also discourage our Youths from taking politics and political activities as carriers which of recent has not been lucrative again due to over dependent on allocations from the government and financial donations from political office holders.
If this Centre is established, the number of Youths that will visit you for alms even when their two hands are sound and functioning will be reduced and you will solve a generational problem.
This anticipated Entrepreneurship Development Centre if launched and executed will empower youths of Uyo extraction with relevant skills to enable them take care of themselves and become useful citizens in the country. It will also in return generate fund to the Government through the propagation of knowledge and payment of revenue to the necessary government Agencies.
This is a clarion call for the empowerment, integration and emancipation of the Youths of Uyo Local Government Area and the time to act is now. Thank you in anticipation of a prompt and reasonable reaction.
Do receive the warmest regards of my kind wishes.
Ekemini James
Offot Ukwa, Ward 6
ekeminijames92@yahoo.com
